“3005” Cuban Ropa Vieja

I will have Cuban Ropa Vieja on my tailgate recipe list until 3005. Not only is it great for tailgating, but also for entertaining or weekend family meal.

What is ropa vieja?

Ropa Vieja is one of the national soul food dishes of Cuba, consisting of stewed beef with vegetables including onions, bell peppers, olives, and capers. It can be eaten as a Cuban sandwich or stew.

Can you cook ropa vieja in a slow-cooker or crockpot?

Ropa vieja is your quintessential slow-cook recipe which makes it a great option for crock-pot if that is your thing. Full confession, I’m not much for crock-pot as a cooking vessel as they tend to fall down with respect to optimizing flavors. However they are great for texture as far as breaking down tough cuts of meat. I use crock-pots more as a “warming” tool for things I’ve already cooked.

What is the best cut of beef for ropa vieja?

Traditionally Cuban Ropa Vieja is made with flank steak, which on the surface or at least for me seems to be an odd choice for long, slow cooking such as braising. When I think of flank steak – I dream of lean cut of beef with no marbling grilled at seriously high levels of heat!Though it doesn’t make sense in this context it is/was the traditional choice for two reasons. One, back in the day flank steak was a cheap cut so it went a long way in feeding a family. Two, flank consists of long strands of beef which visually makes it a great option for that pronounced shredding. This is important for the symbolic representation of the “torn clothing” aesthetic associated ropa vieja which translated means “old clothes.”

Now I’m old school, tend to be down for traditional and don’t wish to offend anyone’s preferred way of doing things, but I’m sorry flank steak just don’t add up for me. Texturally and flavor wise there are better ways. Being the flavor by any means necessary dude trumps tradition in some cases. This is definitely one of those. For my loot, beef chuck roast is the way to go. Though the purists will probably complain that chuck with its short strands won’t have those pronounced shreds and will look mushy, I say one there is a solve for this and secondly it just tastes so much better! It’s not even close! The “short strands, mushy factor” work around is to choose cut of chuck that is taller than it is wide to ensure you get that combination of long strands and deep, intense flavor. Lastly, flank steak ain’t cheap no more due to it’s popularity and thus can’t even claim that advantage anymore. The humbly priced chuck roast wins in this regard. I’ll take better texture, mo better flavor, and value every time!

What do you serve with ropa vieja?

I cooked this on a Thursday night and let sit in the refrigerator until gameday Saturday morning, dropped it in the crockpot and headed to the stadium. I made Cuban black beans and coconut cilantro rice to accompany the dish. My crew topped a bowl full of the rice and beans with the ropa vieja. A few of us made sandwiches which is my favorite way to enjoy ropa vieja. If you prefer the Cuban sandwich version, then reserve some of the ropa vieja au jus in a small bowl/ramekin as a dip. It’s so delicious, and so tailgating!

Ropa Vieja Cooking Tips

Most recipes call for draining the olives and capers before adding to the pot. I prefer to include the juices as the brine actually adds additionally level of flavor.

DO NOT be too salt heavy as far as adding any extra salt cause the dish will be salty enough from the briny olives and capers.

If using a crockpot too cook this dish, be sure to sear the beef in a skillet first

Dish can also be made in the oven, cooked at 350 degrees covered for about 2 hours.

The longer ropa vieja sits, the better it tastes.

Cuban Ropa Vieja

If you make this simple, delicious, and off da charts Cuban Ropa Vieja, please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback. Definitely take a photo of the dish and be sure to tag #foodfidelity so that I can see them.

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Instructions

Pat the beef dry and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a olive oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Once very hot add the beef and brown generously on all sides. Transfer the beef to a plate. Leave the drippings and any remaining browned bits in the pot. If necessary add some more oil to the pot.

Add the sliced onions to the pot and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until caramelized. About halfway through add the sugar to help with caramelization.

Add the red peppers and sauce for another 2-3 minutes.

Add the garlic and spices and cook for another minute.

Add the white wine and bring it to a rapid boil, deglazing the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and bay leaves. Simmer for 5 minutes. Return the roast to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 3-4 hours or until the beef is fork tender and falls apart easily. Discard the bay leaves. Transfer the beef to a plate and shred it. Stir in the olives and its liquid, roasted red peppers, and capers.

Simmer uncovered to thicken the sauce for 30 minutes. If you have time stop at this step, refrigerate and let sit overnight as the flavors will come together even more.

Stir in the parsley and add salt and pepper to taste.

Optional serve with rustic bread to make a sandwich.

Recipe Notes

Most recipes call for draining the olives and capers before adding to the pot. I prefer to include the juices as the brine actually adds additionally level of flavor.

DO NOT be too salt heavy as far as adding any extra salt cause the dish will be salty enough from the briny olives and capers.

If using a crockpot too cook this dish, be sure to sear the beef in a skillet first

Dish can also be made in the oven, cooked at 350 degrees covered for about 2 hours.